VOLUME 13 NUMBER 8
MONTH OF THE HUCKLEBERRY
AUGUST 21, 1984
D.C. officials meet locally to discuss FIP, other issues
Senator John Melcher and Representative Pat Williams met separately with the Tribal Council Aug. 15. Both were on the Reservation to attend a memorial ceremony in honor of a Poison pilot, who was killed earlier this year in a hostage incident
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs._
Williams met with the full Council in the morning to hear comments about Kerr Dam S& K Electronics' problems with the Dept of Defense, FIPs illegal transfer of funds, and problems with the BIA's Portland Area Office and the Tribes' wish to transfer back to the jurisdiction of the Billings office. Virgil Clairmont thanked Williams for a recent grant of more than $500,000 for much-needed facility rehabilitation work at the Kicking Horse Job Corps center.
Williams promised follow-up action on most of the Tribal requests He was somewhat non-committal about the request that the Dept of Interior become
In between conferences with a congressman and a BIA administrator from Portland, and a public hearing with a senator (see story above), the Tribal Council has been deep in deliberations about next year's budget
All of the Tribal program managers met with the Council Aug 14 and 16 to explain why each needs an extra employee or vehicle or computer or more money for whatever.
Part of the yearly budget process is the distribution of revenue sharing money - money the Tribal government receives from the federal govem-
involved in the Kerr Dam proceedings in the Tribes' behalf.
Later the same day, John Melcher met with some of the Council, and about 200 other people, at a public hearing in Ronan about the Flathead Irrigation Project
The hearing lasted less than the scheduled two hours. Remarks were made by FIPs Joint Board of Control, and Joe Felsman, Kevin Howlett, Teresa
Wall, and Thurman Trosper, about transfer of the project from the BIA to the Bureau of Reclamation 28 JBC-financed positions which are apparently
in jeopardy, and non-adherence to (Continued, on page three)
ment through the state government to finance community projects. Because a final hearing on this year's allocation won't take place until early next month, no firm decisions were made last week Requests for funding so far exceed the money available 3-to-l.
A final decision on the general fund ~ Tribal money ~ portion of the budget awaits next month's hearings as well Requested for FY85 is $4,761,510, down" from last year's requested $4,797,709. The latter figure will rise by the end of September to $5,761341 due to modifications made during the last 11 months
Tis budget time again